The Apprentice
by Daughter of Poseidon014
Summary: "You know what? Maybe I could even be a father to you." "I already have a father." First Robin attacks Wayne Tower and there is always someone watching. Once the fight steps into Gotham and the threat to Robin is real, the Dark Knight must step in. But what unfolds next is something drastic that no one can imagine once Slade is involved. Based on "The Apprentice" episodes.
1. Chapter 1

**Gotham**

It was a cesspool of human filth. The streets were lined with drug dealers, maniacs, psychopaths, and everything else. Of course it wasn't the worst; no Blüdhaven topped the list on that one. But Gotham was right up there on the list. However it had its protector, it had the person that it needed but didn't quite deserve. That person was currently sitting in a dark cave, the sounds of bats rustling a chatting somewhere in the deep parts of the cavern as the dark figure worked on a case long and hard. This case, however, was a personal matter.

Batman. The Dark Knight. The Caped Crusader. It was late, but that was nothing but a number to him. Usually he's be making his rounds around Gotham, making sure the filth was cleaned up off the streets and trying to keep down crime as well as he could through fear. But now... That could wait.

"Master Wayne, have you come to any conclusion about dear Richard?" Alfred inquired as he stepped next to Bruce, setting a cup of coffee on his desk.

Bruce sighed with a grunt as he shook his head, his eyes glued to the large monitor playing the footage from his tower in slow motion. Bruce sat in his chair with only his cowl off, other than that he was wearing he would wear every night as Batman.

Bruce's eyes grew tired as he looked away from the monitor. He had soon this footage hundreds of times since his tower had been attacked. The orange and black suit adorning Robin instead of his colorful red, green, yellow, and black costume.

"I don't understand, Alfred. Why would Dick do something like this? It doesn't make sense." Bruce said as he stared at the scene of Robin fighting his team. "There has to be something, and it has to do with that symbol. That S." Bruce says as he scrutinizes the insignia plated on Robin's chest.

Alfred sighs with a nod of his head, "Very wrong. Young Master Richard would never do such a thing willingly. You know him. You have stayed out of his life for so long, Master Wayne. I think you need to step back in." Alfred tells him wisely as he looks down at Bruce.

"I have to now... Whoever's doing this, the attack on my tower is obviously a huge threat if he knows our identity's. I suppose I should stop by Jump City to find out exactly what's going on." Bruce says as the footage cuts with the scene of the Titans unconscious on the top of the building and Robin gone. "I'll leave tonight. Be there in the morning to scout the city and meet these Teen Titans in person." Bruce says as he stands up and grabs his cowl before he pulls it on.

"I'll keep you posted, Alfred. We'll get Dick back." He tells him as he towers over the old man who's acted like a father to him since he was a child. The Dark Knight's cape draped over his shoulder's, casting him in shadows in the dark cave.

"Please do, sir. Unharmed and safe is all I hope for." Alfred tell him with a nod of his head.

"I will." Batman say with a nod before he turns and heads towards the middle of his cave, where his vehicles were kept in a line. As he boarded the Batwing he heard Alfred call out to him once again.

"Please do be careful, Master Wayne. And put the water beneath the bridge regarding Richard." He advices him as he looks at Bruce who was getting ready to leave.

"We'll see. I never dealt with things all too well." Bruce tells him as he close the hood of the Batwing and opens the entrance to the cave.

Now he was going to have to take matters into his own hands.

A/U:

Short chapter. I know. But it's the revised one know. The story lives again and I'll be updating more. I've recently gotten the inspiration to write so there'll be more soon. Don't worry guys. Read and review, and I'll try to update within the next few days. Just yell at me a couple times and it'll come up. Those who have stayed, I honestly freaking love you.

-DoP014


	2. A Game of Cards

A/N: An update, bit of a filler to get things rolling. Read and review. I'd love to get feedback. Thanks. Enjoy.

-A warehouse on the outskirts of Jump City-

A sharp clang of metal rang through the air. Another. Another. Each swing from the bo staff backed up with ferocious strength and anger behind it as it struck its target. But still, not the desired defeat of the bit had been delivered to the boy training.

A sladebot was his sparring partner at the moment. However, it was proving to be a more intelligent and challenging foe rather than those encountered in the past. Each of Robin's attack had either been countered or futile in defeating the blasted robot.

Anger had quickly enraged Robin, as it always had. His temper was something that often fueled his desire to fight and pushed him to it.

With a grunt, he swing his bo staff at the neck area of the slade bot, only for it to be stopped by the mechanical hand. The boy, who was in a pair of black pants and a dark navy shirt, was quickly losing his temper on the bot. Ready to merely back it to pieces with his staff rather than using carefully calculated moves.

From behind him he heard the low tsk of disapproval from the man who had been holding him captive and training him.

"Robin, my dear boy, you mustn't let your anger get in the way of your fighting. It's always been a weakness of yours." The low, dangerous voice of the masked man said from behind him as he watched the masked boy's moves.

Robin rolled his eyes as he lunged at the bot, his staff twirling in his right hand before he swung and knocked it's head clean off its shoulders. A small smirk lifted the corner of the boy wonder's mouth as he finally got his victory.

"Sloppy at best, Robin. Your anger drives you, yes. But you are weakening yourself by letting it control you and your actions. It should've taken you less time to defeat that." Slade remarked cooly as his storm-grey eye was trained on his apprentice.

The hand clutching the bo staff tightened in Robin's grip. The man who had kidnapped him and threatened his friend's safety was scolding him. Making him seem childish and ignorant. Without thinking, Robin gripped his staff in his hand tightly before he brought it up and attempted to bring it down on Slade. A wrong move.

Slade merely grabbed the staff calmly, stopping its path to strike him and narrowed his eyes at Robin. "Once again, anger his controlling you. Calm, calculated attacks should be your focus. Yet you let your blind anger overcome you and make your decisions for you. I would only expect that from an ignorant child, not someone of your caliber, my apprentice." Slade told him before he quickly twisted the staff, along with Robin's arm, and let it fall to the ground.

Robin yelped slightly, his eyes widening as Slade twisted his arm in an awkward direction. "I am not a child nor am I as careless as you see me, Slade." Robin nearly growled at him, how dare he accuse him of such?

Only a deep chuckle rose from Slade at Robin's defense of himself. "Yet you haven't proven that to me. If you wish to learn, you must listen and improve the mistakes I correct you on." Slade said calmly as he brought his arms to his back and locked his hands together. Slowly the man in the half golden mask strode to Robin, bringing up a hand to the mask that was plastered to the young boy's face.

"Now this-" The older man said before he peeled the domino mask of the teen's face. "Is not necessary. I know who you are, Richard. Identities are of no use. Besides, the old persona you were will be nothing once you are my apprentice." Slade said as his sole grey eye met Dick's bright blue eyes.

Robin grimaced as his mask was peeled off, revealing his true face as not Robin the boy wonder, but Dick Grayson. It felt like he was naked, being stripped of the one thing that caused a barrier between the real world and his world as a hero. But it proved Slade held every card in his hand. His identity, his friends, his freedom. It was all in his stack, a beautiful hand. But now Dick needed to either bluff, or hope he was lucky enough to top that. But now, bluffing was his only way to win this game.

"Yet you still get to keep your mask on. I feel like this is a bit unfair, master." Robin said with his eyes narrowed, spitting out the last word in distaste. The word itself felt like bile on his tongue. But the first two days he had been here, he already knew the punishment of not doing what Slade wanted. It was easier playing along.

"Life is unfair, my apprentice." Slade retorted cooly. "Go back to your room. You're done for the night. In the morning, you'll meet me in the basement. We have matters to attend to." Slade said as he brought his hands back to his back, Robin's mask still grasped in his hand.

Robin nodded before he started to walk off towards what was his room. The cards may not have all been in his hands, but he was going to win the game. He just needed to use the few he had up his sleeve.


End file.
